Letters

Speaking up for inheritance tax

The core mission that should underpin progressive politics is that we should not inherit our life chances at birth: our opportunities should depend on our efforts, not who our parents are. That is why the government is right to make ending child poverty the great cause of our times. Yet this ambition was undermined by the government's retreat in the face of a rightwing challenge over inheritance tax (This buffeted prime minister must stop scrambling at every puff of wind, April 11). Progressives must react to prevent any further inheritance tax reductions which again prioritise the richest, over the poorest, in our society.

Inheritance tax matters because it is one of the few tools which directly reduces inherited inequalities. Those arguing against it must know they will entrench social immobility. People across Britain who seek a fairer society must ensure they are campaigning for a fair and progressive tax system as an essential means to ensure a more just society.

Much of the opposition to inheritance tax is based on misinformation. There is a public perception that this is an unfair tax that large swathes of the population must pay. In fact, for the past few years, only the very richest have paid it - around 5.4% of estates. We must explode these politically motivated myths and make the public case for the fairness of this tax. So government must make the case for a fair and progressive tax system to ensure opportunities are made equal.

However, we cannot leave government to act alone. In this hostile political environment we believe that other public figures must speak up and make the moral case too: campaigners across the political divide should unite in challenging the perception that inheritance tax is somehow unfair. We must scrutinise all parties' tax proposals to ensure that the claims they make of wanting a fairer society stand up and continue to campaign to narrow the gap in life chances.

Professor John Veit-Wilson (Letters, April 14) asks: "If the government cares about tax fairness, why didn't it reduce some of those tax allowances instead of abolishing the 10p band?" Surely the answer is that all the major political parties have departments dedicated to begging from the 47,000 rich people who make up the top 0.1% of taxpayers. Why kill the geese that lay their golden eggs?Martin CooperBromley, Kent

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